Everlasting Beauty
by amandastherealdeal
Summary: Prompt: Play on Cinderella story. Cora is the Mother of Zelena (19), Snow (18), Regina (16). Regina has an affair with Robin and when Cora finds out, she punishes her. She makes Regina a maid. She cuts Regina's ankle length hair to hurt her more. snow and Zelena are there when Cora cuts her hair, Snow tries to stop her. Cora burns the hair and Regina watches.


**Hi Guys!**

 **Prompt from** EvilQueensDaughterRapunzel **:D**

 **Prompt: Play on Cinderella story. Cora is the Mother of Zelena (19), Snow (18), Regina (16). Regina has an affair with Robin and when Cora finds out, she punishes her. She makes Regina a maid. She cuts Regina's ankle length hair to hurt her more. snow and Zelena are there when Cora cuts her hair, snow tries to stop her. Cora burns the hair and Regina watches.**

 **Enjoy :D**

 **...**

Things aren't good at home, they never have been. Regina can't stand her annoying brat of a sister Snow, and Zelena thinks she's the queen of the world. She isn't, she's the furthest thing from it. But... she's the first born, cherished by her Mother. It's why she avoids home as much as possible.

Her family is wealthy, and she has her Mother to thank for that. Zelena is 19, born illegitimate, before she met Leopold, Snow's father. Leopold was very wealthy, Cora did what she had to, to get a proposal from him. Sharing his wealth and bearing him a daughter. Mary Margaret Blanchard, or Snow as everyone calls her. Now, 18, and just as annoying as a small child. After Leopold died of a heart attack, Cora met Regina's Father. Also a wealthy man, caught in Cora's web. 13 years after Regina was born, he died of cancer.

Regina, now 16, has had enough. Her Mother won't stop, constantly belittling her. Saying she is throwing her life away, her grades are dropping- she has straight A's, and got one B on a Math test- why is she not studying? What is she doing with her time? Regina's grades aren't slipping, but Regina spends her time at the library, just not studying. At least not always.

She's with Robin. The only person in her life who truly cares for her. And she knows she can't let her Mother find out, or her world would be destroyed.

It's Wednesday night, and she's at the library, like she always is. Anything to stay away from her house, as long as possible. She sits on the couch in the far corner, her calculus book open in her lap. She reads over passages over and over, studying for her test in the morning. It's late, 8 p.m. The library doesn't close until midnight.

Robin groans as he slams his book shut, resting his forehead against Regina's right shoulder, causing her to smile.

"Study," she mumbles as she tries to ignore Robin's hands massaging the tension from her shoulders.

"I already did." He mumbles as he feathers light kisses on the back of Regina's neck.

"Robin," Regina breathes out in reprimand.

"You study too much." He whispers into her ear, "you'll do fine."

"Hmmm..." Regina hums as Robin continues his exploration of Regina's neck.

"When do you have to be home?" Robin husks into her ear.

Regina chuckles, "why?" Regina's smile brightens as she feels Robin chuckle against her neck.

"You're acting like a horny teenage boy," she reprimands with a smile.

"Hmmm... I am a horny teenage boy." Robin mumbles as Regina giggles.

"Well... I have to be home before midnight." Regina husks as she turns her head to kiss Robin properly. Robin smiles into the kiss as he shoves Regina's calculus book to the floor.

"I love you."

Regina smiles as she responds, " I love you too. So much."

They both smile as they kiss, basking in the warmth of safety they feel with each other.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" Regina and Robin jump apart at the sudden booming voice of Regina's Mother.

"M...M-Mother... I" Regina stutters as she stands from the couch, looking at her Mother with fearful eyes.

"Mrs. Mi-"

"NO! ICAME HERER FOR REGINA, BUT INSTEAD I FIND HER BEING A LITTLE WHORE!"

"MOTHER!" Regina yells in horror.

"YOU'RE A DELINQUENT, UNGRTEFUL CHILD!"

"Mother please stop yelling." Regina pleads.

Robin looks at Regina's Mother, his concern only growing for the woman he loves.

He knows Regina's Mothers is abusive, verbally more so than physically. He pleaded with Regina to run away from him, do anything to save her. But Regina's constant fear held her back.

Stepping behind Regina, he lays a comforting, supportive hand on her lower back.

"Mam-"

"Shut up! Come Regina, we're going home!" Cora says in a harsh voice as she roughly grabs Regina's arm pulling the frightened girl behind her.

...

Regina spends the next two days locked in her room without her phone, computer, or anything connecting her to the outside world.

Anything connecting her to Robin.

Regina flinches as she jumps up from her bed as she hears her Mother finally unlock the door.

"Mother, I-"

"Save it. You're a disgrace. Here." Cora says as she throws clothes at Regina.

"You are to wear them from now on. You will no longer be attending school. You have a tutor from 9-3 then you'll do the chores. Everything, including laundry, dishes, and dinner must be finished before I come home. You're free time will be spent studying. You will be allowed fifteen minutes on the computer a week supervised, and you will have no phone privileges until I say otherwise. Any questions?"

"You're making me a slave?" Regina whispers in astonishment and disbelief.

"No. A maid."

"But... I... I did nothing wrong!"

Cora scoffs, "you deceived me into thinking you go to the library to study!"

"I do! I study, and Robin studies with me. You just happened to walk in when we were kissing. Regina tries to defend herself, though as she sees her Mother's expression she knows it's in vain.

"DON'T LIE TO ME. I will not allow you to disgrace our family. You let some boy into your pants and take your virtue-"

"I LOVE him, Mother!"

Cora scoffs, "love? What do you know about love? You just couldn't keep your legs together-"

"Oh for the love of God, I'm a virgin!"

"Oh please, with a man like that..."

"I love him... why can't you just let me be happy."

"Oh you foolish girl you don't know what happiness is. Now, get changed. You have chores to finish."

...

Weeks pass, and Regina spends all her time doing house work. As long as she passes her tests her Mother doesn't care what she does. After all Regina's locked in a house without access to the outside world. Even the computer has a new password every other day.

Currently, Regina is doing the dishes, she frowns as she hears the front door close.

 _Great, my sisters are home._

She thinks as she rolls her eyes.

"Oh Regina!" Zelena sing songs as she prances into the kitchen. "Have you done my laundry yet?"

"Yes." Regina mutters as she clenches her teeth and tries to rain in her anger.

"Oooo, someone has an attitude today."

"Zelena," Snow reprimands softly, "here I can help."

"No!" Regina says harshly when Snow lays a hand on her shoulder. If there's anything Regina hates more than Zelena's constant taunting, it's Snow's sympathy. The constant pity in her eyes is sickening.

"Yeah Snow leave Gina to do her work."

"Don't' call me that."

"What did you just say to your sister?" Regina flinches as she hears her Mother's voice form the doorway.

"I told her not to all me that," Regina mutters as she shrinks back against the sink in fear.

 _Why didn't I just keep my mouth shut?_

"Apologize. Now."

This is what her life is like now. She studies, does her chores, and yet is constantly belittled, punished by her Mother.

"Sorry." Regina says as she leaves the kitchen in a rush.

...

"REGINA!" Regina sighs as she walks down the stairs to the living room where her Mother had called for her.

"Yes Mother."

"Sit." Cora directs, pointing to a chair she had placed close to the fireplace.

"Why?" Regina asks confused.

"DO AS I SAY!"

Regina nods as she quickly sits on the chair, attempting to avoid further punishment.

"You have such beautiful hair," Cora says as she weaves her fingers through Regina's very, very long hair. Which Regina keeps braided.

"Thank you," Regina says quietly.

"Hmmm... You take pride in it. You've always loved your hair. What would happen..."

"Mother, don't please." Snow says in a small voice as she watches in shock.

"Shhh... It's about to get interesting." Zelena says with a smile.

Cora continues ignoring her other daughters, "if I were to cut it off?"

Cora says deliciously as she takes the scissors she had hidden in her pocket and cuts quickly through Regina's hair. Making it short, not past her shoulders.

"NO!" Regina says in horror as she quickly stands, weaving her hands in her hair in shock. "Mother what have you done?"

"That boy was using you. Look at you now. You're hideous, who would ever want you now?"

It all happened so fast, Regina had been powerless to stop it. Cora smiles cruelly as she throws Regina's hair into the fireplace.

"What are you now Regina? You are nothing."

...

Regina spends the rest of the day in her room crying. It's true that she had loved her long air, but what upset her most was her Mother.

 _Why doesn't she love me?_

"Regina," Cora says as she opens her door without knocking. "Oh, enough with the crying already," Cora says as she rolls her eyes.

"Tomorrow you'll go back to school. You will go straight to school then home. You will do your chores and then your homework and studying. I am giving you leniency. Now that, that boy won't be a problem. I'm only trying to prove to you that he was with you for your looks... Now that, that's gone..."

"Go away," Regina mumbles into her pillow.

"Hmm... Breakfast needs to be ready by 7 tomorrow morning."

...

Regina keeps her head down the whole day, hiding in the shadows, pulling her hat tight to her hair. she doesn't want anyone to know, she's ashamed, embarrassed.

But, more than that, she doesn't want Robin to see her.

She manages to avoid him the whole day, but come lunch time he manages to find her. Grabbing her arm gently, he leads her into the forest next to the school. They spent most their lunches here together.

They both love nature.

"Regina, are you alright?" Robin asks in a hurry. He hadn't seen her in over a month. His concern for her only grew stronger every day.

"I'm fine." Regina mumbles as she keeps her head down.

 _Please don't look. Please don't look._

"Regina, my love," Robin say as he gently nudges her chin up with the tip of his finger. Making her look him in his eyes. "What's wrong?" He says as he stares at her.

 _She doesn't like hats, why is Regina wearing a hat?_

As Regina doesn't answer, Robin gently takes the tip of her hat, taking it slowly off her head. "Robin," she whispers in a weak protest.

Robin's mouth opens in shock as he sees Regina's now much shorter hair.

 _Did her Mother cut her hair?_

"I'm sorry!" Regina says as she buries her head in Robin's chest, crying silently.

"Regina," Robin whispers as he instantly wraps his arms around the small brunette. "What happened?"

"My Mother... S-S-She cut off my hair... she made me into a house maid... She said without my long hair you'd leave me. That you were only with me because I was pretty..."

"Regina," Robin says as he cups Regina's face with his hands, stroking his thumb soothingly.

"I **love** you, I don't love you only because you're pretty or because you had beautiful long hair. I love your beauty, your personality, your work ethic, your soul, your mind, your kindness. And so much more. Yes, your hair is now shorter. But that doesn't make you less beautiful. And regardless, I NEVER was with you for your beauty. Though very beautiful, I love so much more about you. I love you.

All of you."

...

 **Hope you liked it!**


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